PRO-8 anti-drugs drive nabs 2 minors for marijuana possession

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
October 10, 2012

CAMP SEC. RUPERTO K. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte  –  The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) expressed concern that more minors are engaged in illegal drug activities as “user” or are being utilized by drug groups in their illegal activities amid proposals to lower the age of criminal offenders that can be sent to jail and prosecuted in the country.

“Minors should not be involved in the illegal drugs trade either as user or pusher. We must put a stop to this activity by intensifying our anti-illegal drugs drive targeting pushers and peddlers.”, Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria said. “It is sad to note that instead of going to school, these minors are involved in the illegal drugs trade”, the Police Regional Director added while assuring the public that PRO8 is doing its best to stop this kind of illegal activity.

This developed as police arrested a 15-year old and a 17-year old boy in Naval, Biliran for carrying sachets of dried marijuana leaves.

Naval policemen headed by PO1 Christian Paminiano caught these minors at Vicentillo, Brgy Rosario of said town while conducting beat patrol operations in the early morning of October 4. Names of the boys, a high school student and an out-of-school youth were withheld being minors.

The police suspected that the 3 sachets of dried marijuana leaves would either be consumed or sold by the minors.

The items were immediately brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory 8 for qualitative and quantitative examination while MSWD of Naval took custody of the minor suspects.

Soria lamented that there has been a total of 972 minors arrested in the country since 2003 for violating Republic Act 9165, known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, wherein 34 percent of those arrested minors were utilized by drug syndicates as pushers.

“Drug syndicates take advantage of Section 6 of RA 9344 otherwise known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006. The law exempts minors or children 15 years old and below, from criminal liability and so, those arrested for involvement in illegal drug activities were eventually turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development”, Soria said.

In the case of the arrested 17-year old boy, Soria said that although he is a minor, he can be criminally liable under Republic Act 9344 if the court finds that he acted with discernment in violating the anti-drug law.

The Regional Director added that while there are no reports reaching his office on the utilization of minors as drug carriers, he had directed the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force of different police offices under his command to validate said possibility, aside from conducting intensified anti illegal drugs operations.

Meanwhile, elements of PRO8 carried out two consecutive entrapment operations in the different provinces of the region.

Also in Naval, Biliran, at Abad St. Brgy SMO Rosario, one Rey Matugas Rabasto, 31, married, dispatcher and a resident of Sitio Bliss, Brgy Calumpang, Naval, Biliran was arrested by joint elements of Biliran PPO PAIDSOFT led by Police Chief Inspector Roderico Lepasana, Naval Police Station and PDEA-8 during a buy-bust operation.

Confiscated from the suspect were P1,000.00 bill with SN ED003651, marked money and 2 pieces small heat sealed transparent plastic sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected to be “shabu”.

Another entrapment operation in Brgy Doos Del Sur, Hindang, Leyte led to the arrest of one Miguelito Ballener y Betonio, 34 yrs old, married after he sold a sachet of shabu to a police undercover officer.

Confiscated from his possession were a piece of heat sealed sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected as “shabu”, P500.00 bill marked money with serial number CG203388 and P2,000.00 cash money in different denominations believed to be proceeds from his illegal activities.

Suspect was brought to Hindang Police Station for proper disposition while the confiscated “shabu” were submitted to Regional Crime Laboratory 8 for examination. The conduct of inventory and photograph of evidences were witnessed by Brgy. Chairman Esteban Alias of Doos, Del Sur and Brgy Chairman Tazonie Garcia of Doos Del Norte, ABC President of Hindang, Leyte.